Borders Railway
Benefits for employment, leisure and tourism as Borders Railway reaches milestone figure of four million passenger journeys.
MORE than four million passenger journeys have been made on the Borders route between Edinburgh and Tweedbank since the line reopened on September 6 2015.
Figures from ScotRail revealed a 5.5% increase in numbers in the 2017-18 year. In the first year, the line was used by 1.3 million passengers, with that figure rising to 1.37 million in the second year and 1.5 million in the third.
“The Borders Railway continues to provide a strong and reliable transport connection, benefiting employment, leisure, tourism, and business,” said ScotRail Alliance Managing Director Alex Hynes.
“Reaching the milestone figure of more than four million passenger journeys demonstrates the success of what was an ambitious project and I look forward to its continued growth.”
Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson said: “The Borders Railway has been a phenomenal success as it continues to grow in both popularity and bringing benefits to the local economy. The ongoing increase in passenger numbers since it opened three years ago demonstrates it is acting as a catalyst for investment, while opening up employment, leisure and education opportunities for communities along its length.”
Matheson said the Scottish Government was looking to develop the potential of the line using recommendations from the Borders Transport Corridors Study, which he said will feed into the ongoing Strategic Transport Projects Review.
Figures in the Borders Railway Year 2 - Evaluation - Survey of users and non-users, which was carried out in February, showed that 71% of tourists using the line said its reopening was a factor in them choosing their trip.
Commuting is the most common reason for travelling, the survey found. And there is now a higher proportion of commuting and leisure trips and a smaller proportion of educational trips.
Some 60% of respondents reported that the purpose of their trip was either a tourist day trip or an overnight stay. Of these, 25% were travelling to Midlothian and/ or the Scottish Borders.
In Prime Minister’s Questions on September 5, PM Theresa May responded to John Lamont (Conservative, Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk) about calls to reopen the railway between Tweedbank and Carlisle.
She said: “I understand the importance to partners across the region of the campaign and proposal to which my hon. Friend refers. I am sure he understands that this is a devolved transport issue, but I encourage all parties involved to come to a workable solution and to ensure the best outcome for the entire region.
“On his point about the Borderlands growth deal, may I assure him that the UK and Scottish Governments will continue to work in partnership to deliver that deal.”